PG Diploma in Play Therapy Manual Section 5 Drawing

HOUSE, TREE, PERSON:

There are two forms of this exercise. In the first, the house, the tree and the person are drawn on
three separate sheets of paper. In the second method, the house, the tree and the person are
drawn on the same sheet of paper.

-to-one relationship
between a specific sign or emotional indicator and a definite personality or trait (Hammer, 1967, 1997;
Koppitz, 1968; Machover, 1952).

Research studies of these variables have shown that anxieties, conflicts or attitudes are often
communicated in the drawings by unique signs and symbols and vary according to client and time
frame. At best, there may be several characteristics that consistently indicate emotional problems
(Malchiodi, 1998). Therefore, meaningful diagnoses cannot and should not be made from a single
sign; rather, the total drawing, as well as combinations of indicators, must always be included when
analysing the drawing.

Additionally, drawings must be interpreted based on chronological age, developmental maturation,

emotional status, social and cultural background, and other relevant history of the individual. For
instance, sketchiness in the line quality has heretofore been viewed as an emotional indicator of
anxiety. Yet, this sketchiness appears to increase with age and is normal for most adolescents, who

Oster and Crone (2004). Using Drawings in Assessment and Therapy (p77)

THE QUESTION
Method Two:

a restrictive way as excluding everything else.

more open way of putting your request. It is clearly much more open and indecisive.

A few questions to ask after the drawing is completed: -

House
Who lives in the house?

Are the people in the house happy?

Do people visit the house?

What else do the people in the house want to add to the drawing?

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Tree
What sort of tree is this?

How old is the tree?

What season of the year is it?

Has anyone ever tried to cut down the tree?

What else grows nearby?

Who takes care of the tree?

I wonder what it would be like to be the tree?

What does the tree see?

Person
Who is the person in the drawing?

How old is the person?

What is their favourite thing to do?

What is something they do not like?

Is the person happy?

Who takes care of them?

Who is their best friend?

Who do they like being with the most?

What is their favourite game?

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What to look for in the drawing:

General
What is the overall feeling you get from the drawing? Is it colourful, joyous, bright or dark,
sad, depressing, angry etc?

Is there a sun or part of a sun in the sky

Are there clouds? - are they light or dark?

Is it raining or stormy?

Are there birds in the sky or in the trees?

Are there animals present who are they?

Are there flowers, bushes, etc. in the garden or in the surroundings?

Are there other people present who are they?

Person
Is the person happy, sad, angry, fearful etc?

Is the person facing towards you, away from you or in profile?

Is the face and/or the body partly hidden?

Is there appropriate interaction of body parts?

Are any body parts particularly exaggerated or highlighted?

Are any of the body parts intensely shaded or scribbled over?

Is the line quality solid or light?

Is the figure clearly defined or almost invisible?

What colour is the clothing?

How large is the figure:

Small size may indicate insecurity and withdrawal or anxiety
Large size may indicate expansive or narcissistic needs.
Are hands and feet present? Are they in proportion to the rest of the body or particularly large?

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General Comments

Missing or oversized facial parts may indicate a denial of the function or malfunction of the missing
oversized parts.

Missing hands or feet suggest a feeling of helplessness or immobility being unable to escape from a
situation.

Feet that are small in proportion to the body may indicate psychological instability.

Large hands or arms may indicate a forceful or aggressive personality. This is considered by some
experts to be a symbolic indicator of possible child abuse.

If the body, particularly the genital region has a large target area drawn on it, child abuse may be a
possibility (Allen, 1992)

House
The house may symbolically represent internal
hostilities, secrecy, enmeshment, openness to outside influences, the level of family protection
given. The house may also indicate the ego strengths and weaknesses, the degree of rigidity of the
personality and the psychological fragility of the child.

When looking at the house, what is your feeling joy, sadness, depression, anger etc.

Is the house solid and grounded?

Is there a chimney?

Bear in mind that many children live in blocks of flats or centrally heated houses in which there is no
chimney.

Is there smoke coming from the chimney?

Is the smoke moderate, suggesting a sense of warmth?

Is the smoke intensely black or red in colour or are there flames coming out of the chimney?

This may be suggestive of tension or conflict in the home.

What is the colour of the house?

Is the house well maintained?

Are there broken or cracked walls, windows?

Are the door/s large, small, open, closed, absent?

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Are there locks or/and bars over the windows and/or doors?
Windows the eyes of the house

Are the windows open, closed?

Are there curtains?

Are there shutters?

Fences are they firm and balanced? Do they identify a clear boundary?

Is the fencing excessive e.g. several layers thick, barbed wire etc?

Are the fences broken?

Is there a gate?

Walls strong or weak and broken?

Roof Solid, broken, or damaged?

Attic Is there an attic (in the roof)? The attic is the place where we store our memories

Path present or absent, open, and inviting, narrow and restricting, broken or damaged?

Tree

general psychological field, the unconscious developmental picture, the psychosexual level and
maturity, contact with reality, and feelings of intrapersonal balance. Drawing a tree supposedly

(Allen, 1992, p152)

environmental trauma, perhaps the loss of a loved one.

his or her
self-being or trying to escape from the dominant person pictured in the drawing. Leaning in the
opposite direction suggests a longing for things to be as they were in the past. A moving tree is
usually associated with a violent force being applied to it from the environment.

within the child. If it is scarred or bent, broken or dead branches, a psychological trauma has usually
occurred sometime in the past. The position of the damage on the trunk is supposedly proportional

disassociated from the canopy, it is a strong indication of intrapersonal conf Allen, 1992, p152)

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The tree may reflect: -

(i) unconscious aspects of the self

(ii) feelings and emotions about the self
(iii) the capacity to obtain support from the environment
(iv) insights into life content and would view
(v) personal characteristics of the drawer
(vi) biographical information

Look at Branches and leaves

The trunk
The roots and grounding

Is the tree grounded, strong, healthy?

Is there fruit on the tree?

Are there birds or animals in the tree?

Are the branches strong and firm or spindly and weak?

Are there sharp spikes?

Is the foliage lush or rather sparse and vaguely drawn?

Are the branches broken?

Is the trunk firm and capable of supporting the tree?

Is the trunk thin and unable to support the branches and leaves?

Is the tree bent, slanted, or curved?

Is the size of the tree appropriate and within context or extremely large or small?

Are the roots solid and supporting? Do the roots suggest stability? Are they deep and strong?

Are the roots shallow and/or spindly or absent altogether?

What are the general surroundings like?

- ugly and bereft of beauty or/and content
- pleasant, inviting and comfortable, safe etc.

A few questions to ask if appropriate

How old is the tree?
Who nurtures the tree?

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What would it be like to be the tree?

What season of the year is it?

Spring anticipation
Summer vitality
Autumn maturity and also the passing of optimal vitality
Winter shutting down
See Liebowitz, 1999, pp 53-69

Some common symbols that may be present:

There are many dictionaries of symbols, which can be useful. Bear in mind, however, that these
books give the generic (universal) meaning and not a meaning, which is unique to the individual
drawer. (See notes on sandplay and the interpretation of symbols).

The Sun
In most cultures the sun symbolically represents masculine energy and power and the moon the
feminine. There are, however, cultures in which the reverse is true.

The sun can be healer, nurturer

supplies the warmth and understanding necessary for development. However, if the sun is setting,
either depression or death in some form may be indicated. A rising sun is usually representative of
-hand
corner of the page), it may indicate a severely impaired farther- (Allen, 1992,
p152)

Rain
Rain may symbolise fertility and spirituality. When children draw rain it usually suggests sadness,
possibly a problem at home. A rainstorm suggests distress.

Clouds
White clouds frequently symbolise purity and the forces of nature, which brings life after drought.
Dark clouds may indicate depression.

Apples
Apples hold the symbolism of love, happiness, death and deception. In fairy tales the apple is half
good and half evil and poisonous.

Birds
White birds may symbolise the soul and transcendence, e.g. Swan, Dove, Goose. Dark birds may
symbolise unconscious negative energies, e.g. Crow, Vulture.

Horse
The horse holds the symbolism of energy, passion, instinct and freedom, e.g. the galloping white
horses. Horses are most frequently drawn by girls around the time of puberty, suggesting the
awakening of their instinctual nature.

Mountains
Mountains are frequently symbols of peace, tranquillity, stillness, eternity, firmness and continuity.

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Fire
Fire holds the symbolism of spirituality, destruction and warmth.

Spirituality purification, renewal, transformation, and passion (Pentecost)

Destruction anger, aggression, destructive passion, hatred (the fires of hell)

For further reading on the House, the Tree and the Person:

Texas: Spring Publications

Bolander (1977). Assessing Personality through Tree Drawings. New York: Basic Books

Koch (1952). The Tree Test. Berne: Hans Huber

Lieberwitz (1999). Interpreting Projective Drawings. Philadelphia: Brunner/Mazel

Oster and Crone (2004). Using Drawings in Assessment and Therapy. New York: Brunner - Routledge

Books on Symbolism:

Becker (1994). The Continuous Encyclopaedia of Symbols. New York: Continuum

Chetwynd (1993) Dictionary of Symbols. London: Aquarian/Thorsons

Cirlot (1995). A Dictionary of Symbols. London: Routledge

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